Young people facing homelessness in the Macleay have recently been granted improved access to affordable housing alongside support services in the centre of Kempsey.
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The three fully-furnished cabins are part of a YP Space project, with plans for more long-term accommodation at the old caravan park on Belgrave street.
YP Space took over the location in 2022 to help support the housing crisis in the area. CEO Caleb Rose says the cabins are already "putting a dent in the crisis" and getting young people off the streets.
"The housing crisis is impacting this area the same as it's impacting state wide and nationally," he said.
"As well as cost of housing, there is a massive under supply of housing, and it's particularly difficult for young people to access housing."
The transitional accommodation option is offered to people who present to community housing as being homeless.
The goal of the specialist youth homelessness service, YP Space, is to provide suitable housing for young people to move into in preparation for entering the private rental market as they get back on their feet.
Mr Rose says there was "immediate need" for the weekly accommodation which has been "typically occupied" since they were opened to the community last month.
"The community is as aware as we are that there's a need for [affordable housing], and whatever solutions can be made available and made available now is really important because the crisis is now...and it's urgent," he said.
While there is a cost for tenants, Mr Rose says the YP Space model is "based on affordability".
"The accommodation is designed to be affordable even for people on the lowest incomes or on youth allowance," he said.
"There are also rental support schemes out there that we tap into."
YP Space has plans for longer term accommodation in their design with slabs recently being poured for more cabins.
"Our long term goal is to get as many as sixteen cabins established," Mr Rose said.
"There are three established so far with ten on site in total, which were flood damaged a couple of years ago...they're being renovated one by one."
The project is expected to be finished within 12 months.
YP Space works with people aged 13 to 25 years old.
"Our goal as a homelessness service is to house young people generally. We do that in private rental market, we do that in partnership with community housing providers as well, but neither of those two avenues is enough," Mr Rose said.
"We set a goal to establish our own solution that we could provide to young people who typically struggle to get access to the private rental market particularly, or there's a long wait list for community housing.
"This gives us an avenue to accommodate them straight away, and take pressure off them in terms of time frame."
The cabins aren't just liveable homes, they come with onsite support.
"It is a supportive living model for the people who might not have the skills or the means to live independently on day one."
Tenants also have access to other services in the community.
"As much as it's our space it's a space we intend to share and we do share with other services with similar objectives to make sure there's a holistic solution available to our young people," Mr Rose said.
Those wishing to apply to live in the cabins should contact YP Space directly to be connected to a case worker.
"From there we would assess their situation and provide whatever support we can, up to and including accommodation," Mr Rose said.
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